ABU DHABI // Henna Hemnani woke at 4am yesterday to decorate the small temple she made in her flat and prepare sweets for Diwali.
"Celebrating Diwali in the Emirates gives a feeling of solidarity and togetherness," said Ms Hemnani who has been in the UAE for 19 years and runs a textiles shop in Madinat Zayed.
"When I receive greetings from different groups of people from various nationalities, I feel proud and enthusiastic that we are living in such a welcoming and diversified community."
In the evenings, her children will light firecrackers and the family will greet friends outside their building.
Indian expatriates throughout the country gathered to celebrate the five-day Festival of Lights.
Diwali marks the start of the new year on the Hindu calendar and celebrates the return of the ancient King of Ayodhya, Rama, after 14 years of exile, and the defeat of the demon king, Ravana.
People light candles and decorate buildings with lights to symbolise the triumph of light over darkness, and exchange gifts, especially gold and diamond jewellery.
Rangoli, decorative designs on the floor made from coloured rice powder, are popular in Diwali and many people create them in their homes and courtyards to welcome the Hindu deities.
Sweet shops in the capital are doing a brisk business, with shopping hours extended.
Vinay Kumar, owner of the sweets shop Chhappan Bhog, said his people were hard at work.
"Now they are working for 18 to 19 hours a day to meet the huge demand of people during Diwali," he said. "Today my shop is full of people and we don't have time to talk."
Others also celebrated at work.
"I am on duty at my shop and stay here," said Prem Shankar, who has lived in the UAE for 30 years and works at Lalu Laundry on Electra Street. "Just bring some sweets and share among colleagues. I'll pray at the shop itself."
anwar@thenational.ae
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Company profile
Date started: January, 2014
Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe
Based: Dubai
Sector: Education technology
Size: Five employees
Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.
Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)
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'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Of Madness'
Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg and Rachel McAdams
Rating: 3/5
Selected fixtures
All times UAE
Wednesday
Poland v Portugal 10.45pm
Russia v Sweden 10.45pm
Friday
Belgium v Switzerland 10.45pm
Croatia v England 10.45pm
Saturday
Netherlands v Germany 10.45pm
Rep of Ireland v Denmark 10.45pm
Sunday
Poland v Italy 10.45pm
Monday
Spain v England 10.45pm
Tuesday
France v Germany 10.45pm
Rep of Ireland v Wales 10.45pm
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ASSASSIN'S%20CREED%20MIRAGE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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